Disclaimer: I'm not own all the member of Naruto. They're belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Warning: Bad words, drugs and etc.
If you like it hit the like, if you hate it go to hell. lol Jk
Aah, pay-day. The day we're payed not only for the missions we've accomplished this past week, but also for becoming shinobi who have sworn to be true to the country of Fire. And, more precisely, the village of the Leaf.
I half-listened when Sakura was explaining to the team that she was going to be holding a special surprise party for Tenten next week and how everybody was invited. I nodded with half-enthousiasm when she turned to me and said,
"Senseis are allowed to come too, Kakashi-sensei!"
And I half-smiled when Naruto wailed about Sakura's warnings, such as, "Make sure not to tell Tenten, Naruto," and, "I mean it, not a word," and, "Don't break anything". The last one didn't have anything remotely close to do with the subject, but it just sort of followed up after everything you told the blonde. It was true - he was a clutz.
Or so he let on.
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Of course now I know it was all just an act. Or it had something to do with the original source founded precisely for that act. Either way, originally, he wasn't clutsy at all. In truth, he couldn't give a damn what Sakura thought about him, or to which parties he was or wasn't invited. In fact, I'm pretty sure that at that moment, he truly wasn't thinking about how 'stupid that Sasuke-teme was for being invited and simply shrugging it off'. But could you really blame me for not seeing this in him at the time? And if you could; I'd love to see you do better.
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After Naruto had gotten his pay, he quickly excused himself and ran off. He'd told us he had an important meeting with a merchant; something we were used to hearing every day. There were people in the fire nation who traveled around the country selling exquisite (and illegal) weapons and poisons. These people came and went extremely quickly, so it was only natural that Naruto wanted to be on time for his 'appointment'. After all, if you're late and the guy's gone, he could be gone for a year or three. So I didn't think too much of it and let him go.
"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura turned to me, "there's a dress-code."
"Hah?"
"Men must wear black and white."
"Oh. Okay. Easy enough."
"Sasuke-kun, is that alright with you?"
Sasuke shrugged and sighed. "It doesn't matter if you don't go."
"Whaaaaat? You're not goooiiiiiing?"
I took this chance to leave.
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Wow. Am I ever glad I left then. If I hadn't... who knows what could have happened to him? Now that I think about it... if I hadn't left... he could've died. Which means that he could have died any other day as well.It's kind of funny, in a sick way, isn't it? How somebody's life is constantly on the line. You could be alive one moment and dead the next. I mean, sure, we're ninja, and we're taught to be able to deal with this lingering thought, but still... My student, my pupil... dead, like that, on a whim... I'm not sure what I'd make of that.
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The sky held up a dark pinkish loom as I made my way home. Giggling (like a man, damn it!), I turned the page in my orange-backed novel, melting right into the page. I knew the roads on Konoha like the back of my hand. Getting home didn't require the usage of my brain anymore; my body moved on its own.
"It's all I've got for now. But I can pay you the rest next week! I'm going on a long mission; I'm getting another 10000 yen (120 dollars) at the end of the week. I'll pay you back, I swear!"
"You'd better."
That voice... It sounded like a young, immature one. A kid, promising to pay something back after their next mission? And it sounded so frail and pleading. And quite familiar at that, too!
I turned to see who it was.
I swear I'm never going to make fun of the word 'kaboom' anymore.
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I really do remember that sound exploding in my head like a real bomb had gone off. It was a very weird feeling that went over me, then. Kind of like excitement, but the bad kind. The one that could only be defined as agonizing. It really scared the living daylights out of me. I remember the sudden chokehold that had wrapped around my neck, and knocked the air out of my lungs.Then I got curious.
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"Naruto?"
"Kakashi-sensei?!"
I ignored the stupid name-repetition and went straight for the gathering of my information. "What'cha got there?"
"Nothing. A gift for Tenten."
I could find nothing but certainty and seriousness on the blonde's face, but I knew he was hiding something. No, seriously, not just because he had his hands behind his back.
"Oh, great; I was wondering what you were getting so I wouldn't show up with something stupid. You know, the youth of today, I've got no idea what they like."
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See now, our Naruto would have fallen for that. Our Naruto would have nodded and said, "Oh, I see. Yeah, you old people! Look what I got her! Cool, isn't it?". But our Naruto was gone. Instead, before me stood a young man looking anything but his actual age, gazing at me with terrorizing little eyes, blazing a blue so intense I thought I would freeze right on the spot.
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"Then you'll have to wait 'till the party." His lips were straight and so was his face. I could tell I was not going to get him to show me willingly.
"You're making me curious, Naruto. Is it so special?"
"As a matter of fact, it's kind of private. So, I'll see you tomorrow then, sensei. Bye-bye, Tamaki-san. I'll see you next week."
The person, who looked like anything but somebody whose name would be 'Tamaki', nodded and disappeared through a slim side route. By the time I rolled my eyes back to where my charge had stood moments earlier, the boy was gone.
"He's hiding something. I'd better find out."
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Don't you think sometimes, looking back on the things you've done, that you were quite an idiot at that time? It's sad really; how much I've missed and how little I've seen. How attentive I should have been and wasn't. How foolish and thick-headed I was... How blind to the truth. It was almost like I wanted to be blind, that's how oblivious I was to it all. Stupid, I know.
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"Is that...?" I muttered to myself, gazing through my student's window disbelievingly. It couldn't be. Not with him, at least. It just didn't make any sense. "Nah... But it looks..."
Naruto took another slug of his 'Super Blue' happoshu liqueur and went through his drawers, searching for something. As he opened and closed cupboarts and went through locked cabinets, he revealed things I'd rather not have seen. Things I hadn't thought I would ever find in his house. Not HIS house. It was just completely wrong.
My student, my littlest, youngest student.. the one who always smiled and acted so brave, even in dark times... was doing drugs.
"No... Not you, Naruto..." I whispered to myself. His eyes locked onto the window and I ducked, but I knew he sensed somebody's presence. Sure, he probably didn't see me, but he'd come looking for the person outside his house in a moment. I'd better pretend I have something to tell him.
I jumped up onto the balcony again and knocked on his window. I was shocked to find all his cabinet doors locked once more, and all evidence of alcohol or drugs stashed away discreetly. I couldn't even find a single trace or scent of alcohol, even if the smell of beer was extremely strong.
"Naruto, you home?"
He didn't answer.
"I'm coming in."
Still no reply. So I slid the window open and entered the kitchen/living room. I looked around, only to find a rather clean appartment, except for the dust bunnies in a couple of corners. It made sense, though, that a kid like him had never been taught to clean his room. He probably just kept it tidy because it was convenient and he was out more than in.
"Naruto?" I called his name another time, giving him one more chance to show his face before I went through his cupboarts.
And still, he didn't answer. So I sighed and pretended to be looking for him, even though it was pretty clear he was hiding away in his room or something.
"Hmm... Maybe he went to the store..." I said to myself, making sure just loud enough for him to hear it. "Probably ran out of supplies..." I opened one of the cupboarts, eager to find any of the items he'd been holding earlier, but was overwhelmed by a wave of disappointment when all I could see was three plain cups of instant-ramen.
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Well, technically, I should have been overwhelmed by a wave of pride and praise, but I shouldn't really be happy that my student had mastered a certain control over illusionary techniques just to hide things like drugs. I really wanted to smack some sense into the boy's head, but what could I do, in the end? It's not like he ever was young enough to lecture, after all. He was old enough to take care of himself all his life - or at least, he had to be. If he hadn't been, he would've wound up even worse than he was now. But what am I saying? Sinking lower than that at the age of twelve... it's sad. Really, very sad. Depressing, even.
I mean, it's not because I lost my parents and managed to stay a certain sense of sane, that he had as well. I couldn't really blame him for it; after all, he wasn't just an orphan. No, they have it much better than him. Not only was he alone, but he was also hated and shunned by everybody he met. Sure, not by team 7, but had we ever really done anything for him, either? Had we ever praised him or told him we were happy he was around?
It sounds stupid, doesn't it? Telling somebody you're happy they're alive. But he really needed it. Cos nobody, and I repeat, nobody has ever shown him they're happy he lives and breathes and talks. They never said the simple words, like "Well, at least nobody got hurt", or "I'm just happy you got home safe and sound". He never even got an "I'm happy you're home" or "I'm happy you're here".
And one sentence every child craves for, aware of it or not, he most definitely has never, ever, heard in his entire life. Or no, he probably has heard it, which made it so much worse, knowing it had never been said to him.
I'm absolutely certain nobody has ever told him they love him.
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I sighed and undid the genjutsu, revealing several clumsily rolled joints, a couple of little zip-locked bags of weed, cocaïne, little 'medicinal' tubs of pills, some seringes, hasj, and a white powder which had spilled over the entirety of the cabinet. Almost like he had been trembling and sprinkled (chucked) it all over the place.
"Oh Naruto..." I muttered, moving to investigate his fridge. When I opened it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he had been working on eating more fruit, but when I sniffed the watermelon, I realized he'd poured alcohol into the hole he'd cut in the middle. What a way of making yourself a late-night snack...
There was a load of beer, cheap wine, whisky, sake and more alcoholic beverages. I couldn't help smiling when I saw little cups of jello, but it hit me a minute later that these weren't your ordinary cups of jello.
"And even jello shots. What is this kid? The main supplier for parties?"
"Sensei. Get out."
"Naruto-kun," I greeted, trying my best to sound polite and happily surprised. "I was just here to ask you who that Tamaki person was, but I guess that mystery is solved."
"Get out."
"What's the matter? You an aggressive drunk or something?" Yes, I was pushing the boy's buttons. It was to be expected, though. I mean, it wasn't like I was just going to let this slide.
"Get out - RIGHT NOW," he snarled, actually sounding like an animal. The Kyuubi had long-since awakened and stirred inside of his young body, tinting the colour of his hair just that shade darker and his eyes crimson red.
"I see. Alcohol awakens the Kyuubi. Pretty logic; your chakra is stirred and you aren't clear in the head."
"Well well, look who suddenly knows all about jinchuuriki. Tell me, do you also know that I can kill you on a whim?"
He was far too cocky. So unlike himself. He was, indeed, not a happy drunk.
"Watch your words, Naruto. I'm a jounin shinobi. You're still a Genin."
"And guess why they say 'student surpasses master'." He gave me a moment to think before sliding out his claws and slashing his "paw" at me. "Now get out! You have no business here!"
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I really hadn't seen that coming. I can even remember a late night we returned from a long mission and I took the team out for a drink to celebrate the long-awaited completion of the month-long mission. I had ordered a small bottle of sake for myself. Sasuke went with a water, Sakura copied him, but asked for a lemon wedge in hers, and Naruto, who was still young and more of a sweet-tooth, ordered a cherry coke. When I was about to take a sip of my drink, I can still recall upon Naruto looking at me with a skeptical look before stating, "You know sensei, ninja shouldn't drink that stuff. It dulls the senses. What if somebody attacks you on your way home? You could seriously harm the innocent. Let alone yourself. You're killing braincells."
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"You know what you're doing isn't healthy, right?" I asked, calm and impassive.
"O'course I know that! I ain't no idiot! And even if I hadn't known, I would still keep doin' what I'm doin'! So get out of here already!"
I sighed. "You know that isn't happening. Not until I get the facts. So tell me; why are you doing this shit? You of all people should know it's crap."
He smirked maliciously, before bursting out into all-out laughter. It thundered from his throat as though he were a monster as he replied, "Would crap make you feel this good?!"
When I didn't answer, he kept going, "Huh?! Does it?! No, it doesn't! Because crap is people like you, who butt into somebody else's life and try to control it! What, are you pretending like you care?! Well I'll tell you what, Copernicus, nobody cares and neither do you, so quit feeling sorry for yourself and get out of my house!!"
I put a hand on his head and commanded sweetly, in that much-too-fake happiness tone of mine, "Calm down."
There was a split-second in which his eyes twinkled with a certain sense of confusion and awe, until they turned angry and agressive once more. "GET OUT!!" he screamed, grabbing my wrist and forcing my hand off his head. The impressive powers of Kyuubi provided him with enough strength to slam me against the wall beside his window.
I pushed him off by his shoulders and kept my hands there, maintaining my firm grip on his immature shape. It was yet another sign of his youth. He was just a child. Certainly, indeed, we honored ninja trained them to become emotionless machines, thanks to which they were declared 'adults' by the time they reached the level of 'Chuunin', which would technically make Naruto about 17 or 18 years old, since he is a Genin. But what was to become of him if he could do nothing but bow to his overpowering desires?
"You really need to learn to be still and listen once in a while."
I was sure he'd lost it now. If I didn't knock him out or something soon, he would start tearing down his own house. Unaware of it, of course. Kyuubi didn't pay attention to its surroundings and went straight for its objective. It didn't care if it tore down his host's house in the process.
So before he went crazy, I disappeared and reappeared behind him, knocking him out. He put up quite a fight with consciousness before sagging through his knees eventually and falling forwards. I caught him quickly and placed him on his couch.
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I shouldn't have gone in there in the first place. At least, I love thinking that that had been the right answer. If it had been, I wouldn't have felt obliged to stay and help him out. But it was the wrong answer. And I knew it. I couldn't just leave him there; he needed me. Well, I like thinking that he needed me. And I love thinking that I meant enough to him that he'd listen from the first shot. Have you noticed yet that I enjoy thinking a lot of things? That's because thinking is better than believing. If I honestly believed I shouldn't have gone in, or that he seriously wanted me around, I'd be crazy. Like seriously screwed up inside. I mean it; it'd be nuts. I mean; come on, Naruto, the little wonder who could, who refuses help from everybody and has lived on his own for as long as he can remember, need me? Nah. Never.
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He made a move to sit up and I teleported myself to his side immediately. "Easy. Easy, nice and slow."
He pushed me away and glared at me. "Don't tell me to take it easy after knocking me out," he said.
"Fair enough. Got a migraine? Or just a headache? Here." I handed him a glass of water and an aspirin.
He stood up, walked over to one of his cabinets, grabbed three aspirin and swallowed them with a can of beer.
"Not exactly what I was going for, but alright."
"Sensei, I know what you're gonna' say, and I don't need to hear it. You don't need to get all into my life all of a sudden. I can handle myself. I have for twelve years. So please, just leave me be."
I didn't know what came over me. I was angry and sat at the same time. I was confused and disappointed but overjoyed all in the same moment. It was sad that a jounin such as myself, an ex-anbu, a feared flee-on-sight ninja, like me, wasn't able to bottle up all of these emotions at the same time, which lead to me having to do something I never thought I'd do.
I squeezed him into a tight hug just like in those fandoms or those manga where the weird chuckly fanboy is too stupid to express his emotions in a normal way. He got lifted all the way off the ground and I shook his lythe frame hyperactively, as though that would help me mix up and throw away all those 'wrong ideas' stuck in his head.
"Mou, you're such a little baka sometimes, Naruto," I scolded him, dropping him on his couch before walking over to his fridge and pulling out a beer. I clicked it open and strode back to his side and poured it onto his head.
"That's for lying to us all those years."
He ducked and scooted away from the spilled beverage, going through his hair with his hands, trying to wringe out the brown substance. "Hey! That's worth more than all your lectures combined, you know! Put it down!"
"It's junk. I'm gonna help you kick off; it's a promise!"
"You... What is wrong with you?"
The theme of happiness that appeared to have been playing all around us ceased instantly and I shut my eyes. It was true; there had to have been something extremely wrong with me for me to think and speak this way.
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Come on, say it! Say; "I just don't want you to have to go through this any more, Naruto. I know about your pain. I know it's not easy. But you're not alone."I guess as much as I wish I could go back in time and change it all; force the words out of my mouth, it won't ever really happen. Or, it didn't happen. And no matter how much I pray that one day I could undo it all, praying is good for nothing, in the end. It's too late now.
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"You have to quit. Go to a rehab center for all I care. But I can tell you this; if you don't quit, then don't bother coming to training tomorrow."
There was silence for about two minutes and I just simply gazed at his vacant eyes, which were turned to the window. Then, he pushed his long bangs back in a nonchallant fashion and let his eyes drop from the ceiling to my face and locked my charcoal orb with his electric blue ones and said, "Screw you," and that was that.
So how is it? Do you like it or nah? I've kept this story for a long time, but I'm too afraid to publish it until now.. Already have 3 chapter on my microsoft words, so if you like it I'd love to post another chapter.
Like always give me your comments, criticisms or suggestions. And I will reply in the next chapter. Thank you.Ja ne!